apologies for the delay in publication due to verification and translation delays

On December 1, 2015 the indigenous Papuan community in Nabire intended to hold worship to commemorate the December 1 Day of Papuan Independence at the community park of Oyehe, Nabire. However organisers were unaware their worship service in the park had been prohibited by Indonesian Police as an illegal gathering A joint Army and Police force dispersed the gathering with force, severely beating civilians, and then took arrested civilians to the Police Headquarters in Nabire.

Chronology
Every 1st of December in Nabire, a Christian worship service is held to commemorate the anniversary of thwarted Papuan independence, but it goes ahead without raising the banned Morning Star Papuan independence flag. For the 2015 commemoration, the Papuan Community in Nabire announced and sought permission from the Kapolres (District Police Chief) to hold a Worship service at Oyehe Garden, Nabire, however the Kapolres disallowed it from going ahead. Organisers cancelled the event, but many people didn’t find out about the cancellation, so they came anyway to the venue

The joint Army-Police force blockaded the garden entrance, so that the community could not access the venue, however more civilians arrived and stood outside the blockade.

Leader of the worship group, Zet Giay, attempted to come to the garden to explain to the gathered people that the Worship had been cancelled, however at 10:30 am Security forces ordered the dispersal of the gathered crowd. This occurred without any negotiation with Zet Giay, and so the joint Army/Police task force severely beat, attacked and arrested Zet Giay, Mikhael Zonggenu, Mirna Hanebora and another 29 Papuans, with rifle butts and pistols, according to witnesses and victims On the truck, Mikhael Zonggenaw was beaten by a police officer severely with a rifle butt. All 32 people who were then taken to the Nabire Police HQ sustained injuries from the security force beatings.

The Papuans that were arrested on December 1st 2015, around 10:30 am in Oyehe, Nabire are;

Top: Mikhael Zonggenaw’s Upper lip was beaten by the Police.Bottom: Martinus Adii, Lower lip was beaten by the PolicePicture of 32 Papuans that was arrested by the Police in Nabire, Papua. The picture was taken after they were released from Nabire District Police office. When they were arrested they were not allowed to take pictures. Source : JPIC KINGMI Nabire.

Talema Waitipo, a 19-year old resident of the Maam area, Bade District,
Mappi Regency, is currently in a weak condition as he lies in a bed at the Naval hospital in Merauke. He is believed to be the victim of shooting by an (Indonesian Navy) Marine officer, who was providing security for PT
Dongin Prabhawa’s oil palm plantation.

He was shot in the left thigh, the bullet exiting at the back of his leg, and also in his chest. Another man, Yance Doga, is also believed to have a been wounded in the hand by a bayonet. Both are currently undergoing treatment.

A family member of the victim, Bernardus Wuka, related that although he had not been present when the incident took place, several local
residents had told him that Talema had been shot by a member of the
marine corps who was guarding PT Dongin Prabhawa’s operational area. He also believed Yance had been stabbed by a member of the armed forces.

He went on to explain that the alleged shooting had taken place on the
8th February 2015 at around 03.00 local time. Both victims were brought
to PT Dongin Prabhawa’s clinic in Bade District, but as the equipment
there was insufficient to treat their injuries, they were brought to
Merauke to be treated in the Naval hospital.

“Actually the condition of both Talema and Yance is gradually improving.
They will both need treatment for several days more, especially Talema
who was shot. He is still not able to communicate properly because of
the injury he has suffered”, said Wuka.

Jubi has also received information that on 7th February 2015, there was
a birthday party which was followed up by dancing and drinking strong
alcohol. That party continued to the next morning. With several people
under the influence of alcohol there was some friction which ended up in squabbles between the people present.

A few moments later, naval marine officers arrived on the scene, tried
to break up the fight, and fired warning shots into the air. It seems that those shots did not disperse the people, who instead attacked (the Marines) back.

Several hours later, the source continued, there was a search and the
two injured men were discovered. At that moment they were rushed to the company’s clinic to help them. The victims’ families were feeling
unsatisfied and started damaging some of the clinic’s facilities.

Separately, the Commandant of the Merauke Naval Base, Brigadier General Buyung Lalana, made a statement to the press that the initial trigger for the incident was strong alcohol. There had been an event taking place in the Maam area.

Some residents were disturbed by the event because of the drinking, the Naval Commander said, and so combined military and police security forces, including the marines, conducted a patrol. The presence of security personnel was thought to have disturbed and impeded the party.

“There was a group of people under the influence of alcohol, who started making trouble. So one of our members let off some shots into the air. At the beginning they were fighting between themselves”, he said.

He acknowledged that people were injured and had been brought to a
clinic owned by PT Dongin Prabhawa for treatment. “I have received
reports from our personnel that the victim’s wounds were not caused by
gunshots,” he clarified.

Nevertheless, the naval base commander promises to conduct further
investigation. If security personnel have been out of line, action would
be taken in accordance with procedures. On the other hand, if residents
are out of line and want to do something that will disturb the peace of
the majority, that of course would not be tolerated. (Frans L Kobun)

[awasMIFEE note: Obviously further clarification is needed around this incident, but the indications are of an extremely disproportionate use of force by military personnel responding to an incident of drunken brawling. This militaristic approach to local incidents of public disorder is common in Papua, and is often linked to military or police mobile brigade employed by plantation companies as security guards. It is also not the first time that naval personnel stationed in Bade have violently intervened in local disputes: in February 2014 Blasius Sumaghai was beaten with rifle butts and hosepipes, leaving him unable to walk for four days.]

JAYAPURA (Pacific Media Watch): The West Papua National Committee’s [KNPB] Timika chairman, Steven Itlay, has been released from prison after being arrested by the Indonesian police yesterday.

The news site KNPB has reported that Indonesian police shot 10 bullets into the campaign’s office in what seemed to be an attempt to provoke a fight in order to arrest activists inside.

KNPB reported that when West Papuan activists asked the police why Itlay was being arrested, they told them: “Steven Itlay is a suspected Free West Papua activist”.

The Free West Papua Campaign said Itlay’s relatively speedy release was due to international pressure being placed on the police.

Just hours earlier, the campaign had published the phone number of the head of the Indonesian police in Jayapura on its Facebook page. It is understood that activists from all over the world phoned the number to call for Itlay’s release.

In a statement issued yesterday, the campaign said: “We would like to thank you all with all our hearts for all your incredible support for Mr Itlay and the people of West Papua, especially after the international plea for his release was made earlier today. Following his release, Steven also asked us to thank you all for the support of the suffering people of West Papua”.

Meanwhile, Papuans Behind Bars has released its April 2014 report, which details 12 incidents of torture of West Papuans in custody last month.

In one case, two West Papuans were “stabbed and slashed” by Indonesian police for objecting to police brutality against a third person, while “another seven men were tortured on arrest with electric stun batons”, the report says.

On April 2, the international day of protests for a Free West Papua, Indonesian police tortured two students at the campus of Cenderawasih University in Jayapura.

WPM apologises for the delay in posting due to the remote location of the WPM team, and the delays in finding independent witnesses to help in cross-checking of this extreme situation. This situation is developing and will be updated as more information comes to hand.

Key developments:

Indonesian police open fire on peaceful protesters in Jayapura, with at least four gunshot wounds and one death;

West Papuan activists and families forced to flee to the jungle for safety;

Images from the crackdown in Jayapura (Credit:West Papua Media/MS); Images from Arrests in Timika (Credit: KNPBNews.com); and Wamena (Credit: WestPapuaMedia/KNPBNews.com).

Indonesian forces have again opened fire on a peaceful Jayapura gathering of about 500 people held by the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), with the shooting of at least 4 demonstrators, and the confirmed death of at least one, on November 26. A total of 15 people are still in serious condition in hospitals around Jayapura with a range of wounds sustained during the live fire dispersal by Indonesian police.

In the worst single act of Indonesian state violence since the October 19 2011 crackdown on the Third Papuan Peoples Congress, ongoing sweeps and arrests have been continuing in the time since, causing most members of the KNPB fleeing with their families into the relative safety of the jungle. Unconfirmed reports have also surface that the police have called in the Indonesian Army (TNI) to hunt for KNPB members.

Correspondents have also reported to West Papua Media that Indonesian radio stations in Papua have been broadcasting repeated messages from the Indonesian police against all pro-independence forces, starting with the KNPB. “We will use force to break apart the KNPB,” a senior Indonesian Police figure in Papua was heard to say on all Jayapura radio stations early on Wednesday morning. Unconfirmed reports have said that these broadcasts have been repeated hourly across West Papua, with the National Police Chief also issuing warnings that separatism will not be accepted any more.

The rally was part of a nationwide day of mobilisations in solidarity with the opening of the Free West Papua Campaign office in Papua New Guinea on November 28. 31 people were arrested by Police in Timika, and 3 arrested in Sorong as KNPB chapters there also organised rallies and prayers to support the opening of the PNG office, which is being held with the involvement of thousands of people throughout Papua New Guinea, including senior members of the PNG Parliament.

A rally in Wamena drew several thousand enthusiastic and cheering supporters wearing traditional dress (many bedecked in the banned Morning Star flag) on a long march mass action, led by KNPB Wamena region Chairman, Simion Dabi This was the only rally where police were vastly outnumbered by participants, and police blockaded several points along the route but did not attempt to prevent the rally from going ahead.

Jayapura
The Jayapura shooting victim, KNPB activist Matthius Tengget from near Oksibil in the Star Mountains, died of his wounds in custody. However, his body was not retrieved until Wednesday evening after it was dumped into the lake, allegedly by those members of the Brimob paramilitary police units who shot him as they were conducting the dispersal. At time of writing, his family were conducting his funeral in Sentani.

According to a statement from KNPB General Chairman Victor Yeimo, currently in Abepura prison, “KNPB and family members of the victims are also looking for four (4) other KNPB members that are missing: their whereabouts are unknown or their bodies have not yet been found. Three of the victims carry the Mul surname and the fourth Lambe. We strongly suspect that the police shot them and disposed of their bodies.”

“Until now we are still looking for possible victims of yesterday’s mass action who were most presumably shot and disappeared: in their attempt to disperse yesterday’s demonstration, the Police and the Mobile Brigade fired a lot of shots and they chased many demonstrators towards Buper, the Housing Complex III, Ekspo, until Iyoka and all the way to the edge of Sentani Lake,” said Yeimo.

Up to 15 people were hospitalised from both gunshots and beatings, including a group of three young women from the Yahukimo dormitory who were savagely beaten by police during their arrests. More reports have also been given that scores of female activists were rounded up and severely beaten by Indonesian police and military officers.

Police have predictably launched a propaganda offensive across its tame colonial media networks in West Papua, accusing the KNPB of conducting a riot. However, stringers for West Papua Media, independent witnesses in the busy Waena shopping area, and KNPB spokespeople have all vehemently denied riotous behaviour by the protesters, instead describing how a peaceful sit-in was brutally dispersed under the orders of a cohort of four senior police officers, who have been personally responsible for ordering significant and ongoing human rights abuses against KNPB members.

Direct Witness to Brutality
A survivor of Tuesday’s violence fled to Papua New Guinea immediately after the shooting, was directly interviewed by West Papua Media – unidentified for their own safety – and has described how police opened fire without targeting, instead firing indiscriminately into the crowd.

Before the shooting, a mass of people had gathered in the field outside the Expo Waena bus terminal and market in front of the Museum, mainly sitting and chatting while listening to speeches. According to the witness, police surrounded the gathering on three sides, and the protest leader Buchtar Tabuni attempted to negotiate with senior police present, including the Alfred Papare, Kiki Kurnia and Deky Hursepunny. As it became clear that police were refusing to negotiate with Tabuni, demonstrators agreed to maintain the peaceful action.

According to the witness, Senior police then yelled to the crowd, ordering them to disperse. However, almost immediately, and without further warning of escalation of the threat, Police commanders ordered the front ranks of police in front of the bus terminal to open fire.

“When the the shooting started, as I was running, I saw the KapolSek Deky Hursepunny and Kapolresta Alfred Papare standing at the gate, directing his police where to fire,” the witness said.

Upon questioning, the witness testified that police initially fired tear gas, but switched very quickly to automatic weapons. The witness also confirmed that instead of individually targeting demonstrators, police seemed to be firing wildly into the crowd, firing indiscriminately.

Both the order to open fire without warning, and the subsequent excessive use of firearms against civilians are direct violations of both Indonesian and international law. International Lawyer Jennifer Robinson, Convener of the International Lawyers for West Papua and currently meeting in PNG, told West Papua Media that “This use of excessive force against KNPB members is in breach of international law and Indonesia’s own police regulations on the use of force”.

“This latest incident falls within a repeated pattern of the use of excessive and lethal force by Indonesian police against peaceful activists in West Papua which is indicative of a broader state policy. Continued impunity for the police involved is unacceptable and the failure to punish gives rise to command and state responsibility,” Robinson said.

Many beatings were meted out on KNPB members by Police during the arrests, with allegations that rifle butts were repeatedly used – a standard practice for the Indonesian police against peaceful demonstrators in Papua.

Plain clothes police special forces, described by the witness as “Polisi Preman” (Police gangsters), then continued two days of terror against West Papuan civilians, some in no way connected with the civil resistance movement. This campaign, at time of writing, shows no sign of lessening.

“We were running across Waena. Police used many rental cars and were driving around in balaclavas like terrorists, pointing automatic weapons outside their vehicles, and shooting now around Perumnas 1, causing all who could see it to hide in their houses. At the same time a black Avanza stopped in front of us, followed by white and red Avanzas, pointing weapons at all Papuans present. We ran, because we knew we were about to be shot – we had to seek safety with Indonesian transmigrants, who were unaware of the situation,” the witness told West Papua Media wearily.

“After police shoot the demonstrators, participants fled to the forest. Police then conducted a brutal sweep, targeting anyone who was wearing dreadlocks, beard, or even wearing sunglasses, and arresting them all,” the witness said. Civilians have fled in panic, and the witness described Waena as deserted when they fled. Families of those at the demonstrations have fled to the jungle. It is not known of normal social functions are continuing, due to the difficulty in getting direct contact with sources in Jayapura.

Our witness reported that two days prior to the demonstration, Indonesian army helicopters were searching extensively around the hills in areas that would be the the first point of refuge for civilian after any shooting.

The witness survivor believes that this indicated that the shootings by police were premeditated and planned, although West Papua Media has been unable to independently confirm this. However the attacks on protesters occurred just prior to the arrival at Sentani airport of National Police Chief General Sutarman, who has exploited the lack of honest reportage by colonial media to issue more threats against any Papuans who dare dream they can freely express themselves.

“We will take firm action against groups or individuals wanting to separate Papua from Indonesia because Papua is part of Indonesia,” State media Antara quoted Sutarman telling the colonial press in Jayapura.

Tabloid Jubi reported that the Papua Deputy Police Chief Waterpauw has denied KNPB the right to freedom of expression, permanently. ” I made it clear to the group West Papua National Committee ( KNPB ), immediately stop the steps that are likely to violence . Whatever the form of their intention and desire to perform activities in public hearings, (it) will never be given permission or recommendation to implement it , because we know the purpose of the organisation and their desire is clear , (they) want to form a state , split off and so on , “said Waterpauw on Tuesday ( 26/11 ) evening in Jayapura City police headquarters.

An independent international observer in Jayapura contacted by West Papua Media just prior to publication, speaking on condition of anonymity, went even further than the witness now in PNG, stating unequivocally that the crackdown was a “premeditated, highly engineered manufacturing of consent of the type that Tito Karnavian is such a master of, just like his OTK killings.”

“It beggars belief that Karnavian, hoping to please his boss – or more to the point those who would seek to replace the boss with Karnavian – would not be the engine of of a textbook counterinsurgency operation to smash a pesky bunch of separatists. The only problem is, those separatists are unarmed and were conducting a peaceful gathering. It looks like the whole thing was organised for a long time. It is well beyond time those gangsters were held to account,” the observer said, naming Karnavian, Kurnia, Papare and Waterpauw as the perpetrators of massive human rights abuses against Papuan civilians.

The observer added that they saw the gathering just prior to its dispersal and can vouch for the gathering’s peaceful conduct, but was disturbed at the large number of security forces that were surrounding Waena. “There were at least ten platoons of Brimob, and hundreds of swanggi (ghosts) everywhere, surrounding on three sides the KNPB sitting in a park,” the observer said – confirming maps drawn by the survivor witness. “They were itching for brutality. How is this Policing?”

A total of twenty eight people were arrested, but were released by Wednesday night. KNPB national spokesperson Wim Rocky Medlama told SuaraPapua.com that they are fed up with the police’s actions, which are arrogant and excessive. “This is too excessive. And I think that the police have much to learn. So that they undertake their duties in accordance with the orders”, as quoted in SuaraPapua.com.

Olga Hamadi, the coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) Papua, also told SuaraPapua that the police’s actions were excessive and the pattern of arrests should stop.

“I’ve only just heard this information. I think that the police are too excessive. Patters of arrests such as this should no longer be necessary. This is included under the rights of each person to express themselves. Moreover this is a democratic country right”, she said in an SMS message sent to Suara Papua, adding that people expressing their views should not be attacked and arrested. “They should be given space. The issue of expressing views in public should not be responded to with arrests and law enforcement. If [the police] are going to be like this it won’t solve the Papuan problem”, said Hamadi.

More arrests
Earlier on Tuesday morning at 8:13 local time. KNPB Secretary-General Ones Suhun was arrested with 6 members of the KNPB (Assa Asso, Okram Wanimbo, Sam Lokobal, Meminda (Mendenas) Sol, Konoru Wenda, and Bonsan Mirin) by Indonesian Police outside the Student dormitories at Putaran Perumnas 3, Waena, Jayapura. They had just begun to hand out leaflets about the afternoon’s peaceful rally calling for the respect of West Papua’s right to self-determination. Most were released by Wednesday night.

Reports received by West Papua Media overnight from distressed sources fleeing through the jungle have confirmed that a further series of brutal sweeps and raids had occurred all afternoon and evening on Tuesday and continuing through Wednesday, with unconfirmed reports of Puma helicopters being used to find activists. Hundreds of heavily armed Police were used to raid the offices of the KNPB Secretariat on Tuesday afternoon, also confiscating all the contents and destroying what was left.

At least thirty more people were reportedly arrested overnight on the 26th, although this has not been independently verified by West Papua Media, however Buchtar Tabuni was moved by his supporters to a safe location.

Across Papua
In Sorong, the KNPB rally was also forcibly broken up by Police, and Marthinus Yohame (regional Chairman of KNPB), Kantius Heselo (Vice chair KNPB Sorong), Natalis Surabut Gebby Mambrasar, Nius Loho and Welem Surabut, were arrested for holding the rally, but were released overnight.

Biak also saw its KNPB rally broken up police, with several arrests reported and injuries sustained. KNPB Biak Chairman Apollos Sroyer reported to West Papua Media that the actions of police were again excessive in preventing a prayer session from going ahead, using scores of police and troops to blockade access to the church. Police dispersed the crowd later in the afternoon.

In Manokwari, KNPB members were also banned from holding any events in solidarity with the PNG office opening, but were able to negotiate with the hundreds of riot police, and the rally went ahead with several hundred participants, dispersing peacefully after a prayer in the late afternoon.

In remote Yahukimo in the highlands, an action supported by KNPB Yakuhimo in support of the IPWP/ILWP meeting at Parliament Haus in PNG on Nov 27, and FWPPNG office opening in PNG was held in front of the Ruko Putra store. The action was carried out in face of threats from Brimob officers and a platoon of fully armed TNI of Kodim Wamena 1702 (Battalion 752), and also 15 Kopassus special forces brought in from Jakarta. They were backed up by a large but unknown number of police from from POLRES Dekei Yahukimo under the command of the local Polresta Eliakin Ap.

The forces presence was was requested by Ones Pahabol, the Yahukimo Bupati (District Head). Ones Pahabol is also the local head of the Committee of the 17th District of the GIDI (Indonesian Evangelical Church), who is considered extremely pro-Indonesian. According to KNPB sources in Yahukimo, Pahabol’s reason for requesting military support was to break up any KNPB demonstration, and he ordered the dispersal of the KNPB activists because he was prohibiting the expression of the KNPB in public.

However the KNPB reported that even though the local government, police and local church committee refused to give permission for the rally to go ahead, the district head of gidi church did give them permission. However the KNPB commented that it was “as if the church were giving permission to the military to kill their parishioners. Despite this military threat we give our full support to the IPWP meetings happening in PNG on the 27th – 29th.” said a KNPB spokesperson from Yahukimo.

Media Attacks
Several Journalists were also attacked by police during the Waena dispersal, forcing an apology from the Jayapura police chief Alfred Papare. Police officers reportedly beat and threatened the journalists at a scene behind the administrative court offices , Waena , Jayapura. According to a report in SuaraPapua.com, the three West Papuan journalists that suffered intimidation from police, were Aprila Wayar ( tabloidjubi.com ) , Micelle Gobay ( SKH torch Papua ) , and Arnold Belau ( suarapapua.com ), Hengky Yeimo (MajalahSelangkah) as well as a national reporter , Alvarez Oru Maga ( Reuters )

In addition, independent media website Suara Papua has been subjected to a denial of service attack, after they published accounts conflicting from the official police version of the story. It is believed by many season observers on cyber conflict in Indonesia, that this is the work of a shadowy cyber- division of the Indonesian police trained and funded by the Australian government, despite the fake outrage generated by the Canberra-Jakarta spy scandal.

In news to hand just before publication, two more bodies have been recovered from around Jayapura suffering gunshot wounds, though it is unconfirmed whether they were victims of the November 26 shootings, or further murders by security forces.

A highly credible source reported to West Papua Media that on November 27 at 3.30pm, a Papuan youth named Ottis Membilang (17), was shot by two TNI soldiers. According to witnesses, Membilang was standing on the side of the road in front if his home near the Mega store at Waena when 2 TNI members arrived in an unidentified vehicle and shot and killed him for no apparent reason. This is within metres of the area that West Papua Media’s witnessing survivor of November 26’s violence described troops and police driving around in Avanzas, wearing balaclavas and threatening to shoot all nearby Papuans.

At the time that the first victim Mathius Tengget was being buried by his family, another body was found at Koya Barat (West Koya), at Wlara Tami near Skouw. KNPB sources have yet to confirmed if the body belongs to one of those missing since Tuesday’s brutality. The Tami River has long been a notorious dumping ground for victims of the Indonesian security forces’ Ninjas, as the river after rain sweeps all bodies far out into the Pacific Ocean into shark infested waters.

In several centres across West Papua on October 16, Indonesian police and army (TNI) have again cracked down violently on peaceful political demonstrations held by the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), resulting in the injuries of several participants, with unconfirmed reports of police opening fire in related incidents against KNPB members in Kaimana.

The demonstrations, called for October 15 by the KNPB to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the founding of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua, were delayed for a day out of respect for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. The rallies were also highlighting the historic speech made by Vanuatu Prime Minister Moana Kalosil Carcasses to the United Nations General Assembly in late September, calling for the international community to take action on West Papua.

Despite formal permission being sought from the Indonesian police in Papua to conduct acts of free expression, Papua Police Chief Tito Karnavian rejected the permit due to the political and “separatist” nature of the rallies, according to KNPB spokesman Wim Medlama. Karnavian, the former commander of Australia-funded anti-terror police unit Detachment 88, authorised the deployment of thousands of heavily armed police and military to prevent the commemorations from occurring, according to local human rights sources.

Police banned rallies from going ahead in Jayapura, Waena, Sentani, Boven Digul, Merauke, Biak, Kaimana, Nabire and Timika, however participants were allowed eventually to hold prayer sessions under tight military and police surveillance and a show of force in Biak and Nabire, according to KNPB sources. In Timika, according to West Papua Media sources, several thousand people ignored the police ban and show of force and joined the KNPB event at Jayanti field in Timika.

Credible human rights sources have also reported that in several centres across Papua, combined Indonesian security forces of the Army (TNI), Brimob paramilitary police, and plain clothes members of Detachment 88 physically blockaded and prevented demonstrations from going ahead with dispersals and beatings in several centres. In Merauke, police and undercover personnel said by credible sources to be members of Detachment 88, were conducting heavy surveillance of local people whilst blockading roads to prevent people from accessing the commemorations at the KNPB Merauke office.

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The demonstration in Waena just prior to the dispersal by Indonesian Security Forces. (Photos: KNPB)

In Jayapura, rally participants met anyway from 5 am at the gravesite of Theys Eluay, where they began music, prayers and political speeches before dawn under the rising morning star, the celestial inspiration for the banned Papuan freedom flag. KNPB Secretary-General Ones Suhuniap told WPM stringers, “The Jayapura police began violently dispersing them at 6:30am with full force and weapons, with members of the TNI. The violent dissolution by the police also involved confiscation of KNPB member’s valuables, such as a camera and all the KNPB’s flags.”

While this peaceful demonstration was dispersed, another gathering at the Highland people’s housing complex Perumnas III in Waena, was blockaded by police under the command ofJayapura Police Chief Commissioner Alfred Papare. This gathering was then surrounded by the police and army and were forced out of the area, according to the KNPB and confirmed by WPM stringers.

Suhuniap explained “Until the afternoon the demonstrators were violently dispersed by the combined police and army forces and assisted by the Papuan police’s special operations forces,” referring to uniformed members of the Australian trained counter-terror unit Detachment 88.

KNPB activists told WPM that they observed the army and police were prepared to suppress KNPB members with force, heavy weapons, assault vehicles and armoured vehicles. Over 200 police, including 50 fully armed Brimob paramilitary police and a platoon of TNI soldiers, and scores of plain clothes intelligence – said by KNPB to be members of Detachment 88 – participated in the dispersal and blockading the peaceful demonstrators of KNPB.

West Papua Media has been unable to confirm independently if any people in Jayapura were injured during the dispersal.

Meanwhile in Boven Digul, KNPB sources reported that Indonesian police took to local radio stations to announce the prohibition of freedom of expression, telling local people not to participate in KNPB actions. All local people were stopped and searched, with police allegedly confiscating cameras from citizen journalists.

In Kaimana, on the south west coast of Papua, Tabloid Jubi has reported that rally organisers decided to hold a prayer service instead to commemorate the IPWP anniversary. However, police banned that too and came to arrest organisers.

A night of terror and shootings was reportedly unleashed by Indonesian security forces against KNPB members’ families after the commemorations in Kaimana. Police Special Forces raided the KNPB Kaimana offices three times during the night of October 16, with the first raid occurring at 2130. Six shots were fired into the house from Police rifles during the first raid. Three residents, Barias Wesfete, Demianus (Luter) Baunu and Jesse Irini were severely beaten and arrested by police.

However, according to KNPB spokesman Medlama when interviewed by WPM partner Tabloid Jubi, Police returned twice more during the night, with at least ten bullets shot by Police to the house at different times throughout. “The first shooting at 9:30 pm, was 6 times (shots.) The second shooting at 2 o’clock at night up to 2 times, and the third time at 4 am as much as 2 times,” Medlama told Jubi.

The three Kaimana arrestees returned home the morning after, however no information has been received of their charges, if any.

Jubi reports that the KNPB assessed that police are just looking for an excuse to put extreme psychological pressure on Papuan people, in ways that make no sense. “We are not concerned with their efforts to pressure us. We only know one word – LAWAN”.

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Our Mission

West Papua Media's principal mission is to assist in the development and advocacy of a free and open media capacity for West Papua, and to provide a Public Interest journalism service on issues affecting West Papua, for the international community. Contributions subject to editorial policy always welcomed. Donations are welcome and required to enable this mission to succeed.